Guard Duty
by achillesheel02
Summary: Chiron, I need your help. I think my daughter is in trouble." Chiron sat up. "And what makes you think that?" "I..I can't tell you that. Just know that I think she's in trouble. Can you find someone to, err, protect her?"
1. Chapter 1

"Chiron, I need your help. I think my daughter is in trouble."

Chiron sat up. "And what makes you think that?"

"I..I can't tell you that. Just know that I think she's in trouble. Can you find someone to, err, protect her?"

"Fred, you know we have to go through that long process of finding a suitable bodyguard, and I also need to know the reason for the assignment."

"Chiron, I can't tell you. It's highly confidential."

"Then I'm sorry but I can't help you."

"How much money do you need? I'll pay you any amount, Chiron."

"Money is not the problem."

"Please. Trust me when I say that she is not safe to be doing her activities alone."

"Does she know this herself? What exactly did she do to get herself into that much trouble?"

"The matter is so secretive I cannot even talk about it. But I swear I will tell you once this is over."

"You're not really giving me much to go on."

"Annabeth's life depends on it."

Chiron sighed, and leaned forward. "I'm going to be breaking a few rules here, Frederick. But if Annabeth really is in danger, then I guess it's going to be worth the risk. What kind of bodyguard are you looking for, exactly?"

"A male about her age. Someone she can interact with. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable."

"Does she even know that you're hiring a bodyguard?" Frederick shook his head. "You're in luck. I have one of the best, and he's just a few months older. He has already accomplished tasks that others have found quite difficult.

"He'll accept without any questions?"

"More or less."

~O~

They were in the shooting range. He laid down his favorite handgun, a Browning 9 mm Hi-Power, given to him by his late father. He nicknamed it Riptide. He looked at the gun on the table and glanced back at Chiron.

"What the hell, Chiron? Babysitting?"

Chiron rolled onto the platform - he was in his wheelchair for two years now. "Think of it as a new life. A way to start over. I mean, haven't you ever wanted to go back to high school and be normal?"

"That's precisely the reason why I dropped out. Chiron, we're not a security company. Why are you accepting offers like this?"

"This is an exception. A close friend of mine, he doesn't trust any other agency or organization…his daughter is in grave trouble—"

"So he says." Percy clarified.

Chiron sighed, "Percy, if you think you cannot handle a simple task like this, then I'll just have to assign it to someone else."

"Fine, fine. How long will this assignment be?"

"The contract says indefinitely."

Percy blinked, "What? You mean forever?"

"Until your employer says otherwise."

"And who is my employer?"

"You will meet him soon." Chiron stayed quiet for a few moments. "How is Sally?"

"She's okay," Percy said conclusively while removing Riptide's magazine. He hated it when people asked about his mother's condition, as if they expected it to get any better…

"So when will I meet this mysterious employer and the damsel in distress?"

Chiron checked his watch, "In about five minutes."

~O~

Upon arriving at the Chase residence, Percy's eyes widened. These guys were rich. Dam rich. The driveway meandered between large fresh Mahogany trees and formed a canopy at the top. The house was a mansion obviously, painted glossy white. The parking area was filled with expensive rides ranging from the latest make of Lamborghini to Audi.

Mr. Chase – who insisted we call him Fred – welcomed us warmly. He was chief head of the Scientific Analysis department in the famous Chase and Bink Biotechnology Company. He was also board member and also founded the company. Everyone knew Mr. Chase, which was why Percy had agreed to be his daughter's bodyguard.

Just as their tea arrived, two girls about Percy's age trudged downstairs. He guessed that the blonde one was Annabeth, because she looked like her father. Annabeth Chase was definitely a sight for sore eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless yellow sundress. Their eyes met.

She looked from Chiron to her father and somehow was able to put two and two together. She crossed her arms and looked at the two men expectantly.

"Thalia, can you excuse us for a moment?" the other girl reluctantly cantered outside. Fred looked at his daughter, with a somewhat conciliatory smile, "Hey sweetheart, I'd like you to meet Percy, you new, uh, friend."


	2. Chapter 2

**PERCY'S POV**

One thing about this Annabeth girl was that she sure wasn't going to go down easily. Apparently her father had had Chiron sign her up with a bodyguard without her assent. And now I looked like the bad guy.

Seeing that she was clearly losing the shouting match, she grunted and stormed off, giving me a glare. I sighed. _This is going to be fun._

"Uh, sorry you had to see that Percy. My daughter and I…So I've vacated the room next to Annabeth's for you. It is luxurious enough for you, believe me. Whenever you're hungry, just call the cook through the telephone and he'll send up whatever you want through the dumb waiter. There are all sorts of entertainment for you here. If you have any problems, just come to my office."

"How long will this be?"

"Well…maybe a month. I am undertaking a project and I will be busy so hopefully…yeah."

"And you still won't tell us the reason why you want your daughter protected so badly that you sought help from a non-governmental intelligence company?"

Chiron played with the wheels of his wheelchair. I pretended not to notice his nervousness.

"I'm sorry, but no."

I shrugged. My own room, with 'all sorts' of entertainment, cooks who will serve me any dish I want, and I was pretty sure there was even a British butler hidden somewhere around the house. And all I had to do was protect the little heiress. A deal to die for, right?

_Wrong. _The moment I woke up, I was feeling groggy. Chiron told me I had to go to school with Annabeth as part of my contract. I had slept late the previous night, reading reports on her biotech billionaire father.

I took out my toothbrush and trudged to the nearest bathroom, still in my briefs. When I entered, my view was all foggy and it was warm, but I lazily made my way to the sink.

No sooner had I opened the taps than I heard the sound of curtains being pulled. _Shit._

"Percy!" a shrill voice exclaimed; Annabeth.

By the time I turned around, luckily, she had grabbed a towel and covered herself. I closed my eyes, as if hoping that Annabeth would not notice my presence if I did so.

"Sorry, sorry." I sighed, "This is not how I wanted to introduce myself."

"This floor itself has six other bathrooms and you just happened to have come to the one where I was showering?" she wiggled a finger at me.

I threw my arms up in surrender. "It's not what you think. I just…you…it was the closest one around!" I said, doubting that she would believe me.

She looked at me up and down. Then she blushed. Suddenly, she held on to her towel tightly and defensively, but before she went, she said, "And put on a towel, for Pete's sake."

_So much for first impression._

There was a silent agreement between the two of us to keep the bathroom incident to ourselves.

After changing to black pants, a V-neck muscle-fit T-shirt, a leather jacket and a pair of Vans, I met Annabeth on the driveway, to instruct her on the protocol.

"Okay, so part of my assignment is to protect you from any physical danger. This doesn't mean I'm going to be fighting your wars for you in school, mind you. And you don't need to act like someone's watching you, I can blend in. so I won't affect whatever you'll be doing. You do your thing, and I'll worry about any grenades or knives. Oh, and last and most important, the less people who know about me, the better."

Annabeth looked bored, "Sure."

Even though we were going to the same school, we used different means. Annabeth went in a chauffeured Rolls Royce while I rode in my classic black Harley-Davidson.

All eyes were on me when I rolled into the school premises. Apparently, not many guys owned motorbikes. Goode High School, was what was plastered on the face of the main block. Just as I was about to enter the conveniently placed parking space, some blonde jock with a convertible BMW rushed into it, almost hitting me in the process. _Dicks._

Annabeth arrived a few minutes later and was already absorbed into her clique. Since it was the beginning of a new semester, I wasn't late for anything.

**Step 1: Fit in**

As I walked around studying the environment, I saw a kid about my age sitting by himself on the grass. He had shaggy hair and a goatee and wore a green shirt saying 'THE PEOTRY OF THE EARTH IS NEVER DEAD'. He also had a pair of crutches placed beside him. _Don't be too noticeable Percy._ I went and said hi. He told me he was called Grover. He said he was an environmentalist. I chucked my jacket and sat next to him. We slowly chatted till we became what you can call friends. _No attachments Percy._

After a few minutes, a bell rang and, even though Grover had to use crutches, he was the one who lifted me up and insisted that we hurry back to class or else we'd be penalized. Before I entered the Math room, I shot a glimpse at Annabeth, who also turned and looked at me. Our gazes met for a few seconds, and then she turned again and strolled into the Physics room. _That was awkward. _She'll be okay, I said to myself.

But unfortunately, I was really good at losing my stuff. It wasn't until lunch break when I realized that I had misplaced my leather jacket. Grover and I returned to the spot where I had left it but it wasn't there. I was pissed off; I had put my ridiculously valuable phone in that jacket.

However, I assured Grover that it wasn't his fault. The poor kid was hyperventilating because he thought he was the one who made me forget my jacket. It was when we entered the lunch hall that I felt my luck was not as lousy as I thought. A girl was reading a novel which she had placed on top of my jacket on the table. She was relatively far away, but it was my favorite jacket, so I could notice it easily.

Grover followed my gaze and nudged me on the shoulder. "That's Calypso over there. One of the hottest girls in school, if you ask me. In the levels of girls like Annabeth over there. But she likes to be left alone…" Grover continued talking but all of a sudden I was mesmerized by the girl reading the novel.

She had hazel eyes, flowing black hair and dimples when she was reading. It was obvious she was trying to concentrate on her novel; by the way she was scrunching her nose and knitting her eyebrows. Before I knew it, I was walking towards her, leaving a mumbling Grover.

_No attachments Percy. _Shut up conscience. _Percy… _Conscience, if you had a face, I'd punch it right now. _Percy Goddammit! You don't know what you're getting yourself into. _Conscience,i f you're seeing the what I'm seeing, you'd say it's worth it.

She looked up and smiled. "I'm sorry. I was meaning to take this jacket to the Lost and Found office. Is it yours?"

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	3. Chapter 3

_So I was wasting my time watching so many TV shows and I realized, 'Damn, I need to continue with my writing, if not for me, then for my fans – if I still have any.' I love writing fanfics of PJO and since I stopped writing I always felt a little dead inside. Anyway, let me not bore you with my trivialities._

**CHAPTER 3**

I checked on my smart phone for Annabeth's location. I was lying on one of those sun chairs beside the large bean-shaped swimming pool in the Chase residence. Hey, every bodyguard needs some time to rest and bask in the sun once or twice.

_Ding Dong._ That happened about twenty times before I realized that Annabeth was not going to come downstairs and open the door. And also that somehow the huge house didn't have a butler, or a British one at that.

Groaning inwardly, I got up and trudged to the main door. Opening it, I saw my least favorite new acquaintance. Luke. Luke was the blonde dude who took my parking spot that morning. I knew it was a stupid thing to get mad about, but he also grazed my bike. Nobody grazes my bike and gets away with it. But I let it pass. Because he was Annabeth's boyfriend.

"Oh hey dude," He said with a grin and jostled me out of the way. I kept my anger in check.

"What are you doing here, Luke?"

"Came to see my girl. Annabeth!" he called upstairs and jumped on the couch in the living room.

"Chill your tits!" Annabeth shouted from upstairs in her room.

I shrugged and went back to the swimming pool but Luke called me back. I sat down across him, trying to look interested.

"You're that Percy guy right?"

"You scratched my bike."

Luke laughed, "I knew I remember you from earlier. You're the guy with that crappy old-fashioned bike. My bad, man."

I balled my fists and stood up, but luckily for him Annabeth had entered the room, announcing dramatically, "I'm here." She ran to Luke and kissed him. She turned to me like she just realized I was there. "I'm going out. I might not be coming back so early."

"But your dad said a very important person is supposed to be coming in two hours. You're supposed to have arranged the table already." I pointed out like the good guest I was.

Annabeth glared, "I'll be back in time, _dad._"

"Annabeth, your dad wouldn't like this."

She groaned and gave in. "Fine." She turned to Luke, "I guess I'll just have to see you through the bottom of the sun."

Luke smiled and went right out through the door. It was really a weird moment. Annabeth just shot another glare towards my direction and went back upstairs. I narrowed my eyes; she didn't even nag about my sending her back to her room. Neither did Luke.

He held out a hand, "Nice meeting you…Peter." He flashed his snarky smile that was so punchable. _No confrontations, bro. _I shook it and Luke silently retreated to his ride.

A few minutes later, while reading a mag, it finally dawned on me. I got up off the seat and ran to Annabeth's room. I didn't bother knocking because I knew she wasn't there. The windows were open. Above the windows a large yellow ball spewing out rays was painted. I had made a sweep of her room earlier when I first arrived and noticed it, but didn't get the message now._ Through the bottom of_ _the sun…_

Four years of experience in the field and I got duped by a bunch of teenagers. Chiron would flip if he found out, and I was pissed. Luke was going get a piece of me when I get to him, and that was a promise.

When I revved my bike is when Mr. Chase called, "Percy, how are you? Good, is Annabeth there?"

I raked my brain for an excuse, "Err, she's showering right now..."

"Oh… well tell her to be ready for dinner with the Mayor. I want her to be presentable as she is my daughter. You too Percy. And, Mr. Carstairs will be arriving today, he's the butler who had taken a sabbatical earlier this month. He'll be helping with arrangements, and also directing the cutlery services that would be arriving shortly. Got it?"

All that was going through my mind that time was 'Aha! I knew there was a British butler.' But I shook my head and gave a slow doubtful reply, "Sure, we'll be ready soon."

I did the math in my head; just pick Annabeth, maybe teach the douche Luke a lesson, then be back by dinner. Wonderful, I thought sadly, because nothing ever goes according to plan.

It took a few minutes to locate Luke's house since I put a bug on Annabeth's phone just in case. His parents were not home, evidently, and I could smell Annabeth's perfume from a mile away.

Espionage tactics 101: familiarize yourself with the zone and identify all routes and access points. Small peaceful neighborhood, looks like for the heavy-pocketed folk, no loud music or any public disturbances, not so many people walking around, one walking her dog, a couple, few houses down, making out outside, another taking a friendly stroll, kids playing with a Frisbee on the compound opposite Luke's, only a black van parking on the road, next to said compound…all other vehicles had parking spots in their compounds. I gritted my teeth, _not good._

I didn't bother knocking because I knew only Luke and Annabeth would be inside. Luke had his car parked in one of three spots. The other two had tire marks showing that the vehicles there have gone already. Plus I could see the two culprits eating each other's faces in the freakin' living room. I smiled at myself for deducing the situation very Sherlock Holmes-ly.

"Hey guys, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I had been looking for a snarky comment to make and that one seemed to hit the mark. The looks on their faces were priceless, if I had a camera just that time…

Annabeth shrieked dived behind the couch for whatever reason. Luke, on the other hand, jumped at me, fists a blazing. It was easy to counter him, and soon I had him pinned.

"Annabeth, we need to go. We have a dinner to attend. With the Mayor. Fancy, right?"

Luke, was somehow able to evade my firm grip on his hand and threw me aside. I examined my surrounding again: a cabinet full of medals, army ribbons, and army label pins. His father was ex-military. _Ah, crap._

"Percy, why do you have to be such a pooper?" Annabeth got up, her face looking livid.

I knocked Luke down when he went off-guard, he dropped to the floor like a doll.

"What the hell!" Annabeth dropped to the ground and checked Luke's pulse. I knew he was still alive. Those were one of my signature knockout blows.

She got up and started punching me on the chest, fairly harmless blows. I gripped her arms and whispered, "Quietly, and I mean _very _quietly, walk towards the back door."

She was confused, till I nodded towards the window. Outside, five men and a woman came out of the suspicious black van and were heading towards the house. It was hard seeing their faces through the translucent-ish curtains.

"I can't just leave Luke, they might kill him, Percy!" she said loudly.

The people outside stopped in their tracks, one of them, the female, walking forward a bit.

"Percy?" she called out. I groaned, _Calypso._ As if this job could not get complicated enough…

Annabeth slid her hand down and enclosed them with mine. With her, I went towards the window and pushed the curtains aside.

"Oh hey there, Cal. How's it going?" I smiled. Calypso and I had a very, very complicated relationship, if you can even call it a relationship. The expression on her face looked like she hadn't expected me to be there. But Calypso was a master of disguises.

She genuinely smiled that awesome smile of hers, then her face changed, "You just know how to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, don't you?"

Annabeth squeezed my hand impatiently. She didn't look so horrified, but it was obvious she was afraid, she was shivering. _Do your job, Percy._

"Uh, so let me just cut to the chase. My friend and I were just leaving, and you, and your friends, were kinda blocking the driveway. So, can you just, back away a bit, enter your van and drive away?" I raised my eyebrows and added, "Please,"

"Percy, they're not moving." Annabeth mentioned in an annoyingly obvious manner.

"Sorry babe, you'll have to do better than that," Calypso said, crossing her arms.

"Who sent you?"

She pursed her lips and raised a brow, "Sorry again. If I tell you, I'd have to kill you." Then she touched her lips with a forefinger, "Then again, if I don't tell you, I'd still have to kill you. So let _me _just cut to the chase; either you give us the girl, or we bring down the whole house." She turned away and started giving instructions to the five men in Russian, too fast for me to translate.

As she walked away, she said, "Don't tense Percy, just sit down and I'll give you time to think."

The five men cocked their automatic weapons and lined up at the front of the house. Annabeth went to take a seat, her face expressionless.

Calypso was never one true to her words. "Annabeth, get down!"

As we dove for cover, the men rained bullets at the house, breaking the windows, and destroying the property in the living room. Pieces of Vases, coffee tables among other stuff flew around. Luke was lucky that he was still passed out and on the floor, otherwise, he would have been a goner. After a minute tops, the shooting subsided. I had been on top of Annabeth, and the bits and pieces of shrapnel partly ripped my clothing, but she was still alive and kicking and that was all that mattered.

As I checked outside, the gunmen retreated to the van and soon drove away. I helped Annabeth up.

"They only shot at the top, they didn't even try to kill us." She ran over to Luke and funny enough, not even a splinter got to him. He wasn't going to come to any time soon either. I nodded.

"They were just…"

"Sending a message." Annabeth completed it for me. She looked enraged.

Tears trickling down her cheeks, she turned to me. "So this is how my life is going to be right? Just having to look over my shoulder to see if some random person would kill me!"

She embraced me, and I held her tenderly, "No, if they wanted to kill you we wouldn't be alive right now. They want you alive. And I want to know why."

Annabeth didn't answer. I flipped open my phone and dialed for Chiron. "Chiron, you didn't tell me the _Russian Mafia _are after Annabeth. What the hell aren't you telling me?"

Chiron sounded startled, "Them too?"

"What do you mean, 'them too'? Just how many are there?"

"Percy…"

"Stop, don't even try to make an excuse, Chiron. I want answers, and I want them NOW."


End file.
